Skip to content
Rows of tea bushes on rolling hills near Nuwara Eliya, with tall trees, forested slopes and a mountain behind under a pale sky

Where to stay in Sri Lanka

Photo: Bergentroll, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Sri Lanka

Add your dates above to compare prices for your stay.

About Sri Lanka

Negombo is about 11 km from the airport by road; Galle, Kandy, the hill country and Sigiriya are each more than 110 km away. On a loop through them, the bases decide how the driving days fall.

Sri Lanka. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Bandaranaike International (CMB) at Katunayake, about 11 km by road from Negombo and about 33 km from Colombo. Source
ETA
Free for 30 days since 25 May 2026 for nationals of 40 countries, the UK, the US and 12 EU states among them; USD 50 online for most other countries. The tourist ETA allows two entries within the 30 days. Source
Longer stays
Beyond 30 days from arrival the visa must be extended: USD 100 up to day 90 for British and US citizens and the western European nationalities listed, in steps up to 270 days. Source
VAT
18% standard rate since 1 January 2024. Source
Tourism Development Levy
1% of a licensed establishment's turnover, 0.5% for those with up to LKR 12 million a year. It is charged to the business, not per guest. Source
Registration of places to stay
Hotels, guest houses, home stays, rented homes and rented apartments must register with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, which lists registered ones on srilanka.travel. Source
Driving licence
A hire car needs an international driving permit plus a Sri Lankan recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon, according to UK travel advice. Source
Parking with a rental car
Colombo Municipal Council manages roadside parking under by-laws gazetted in July 2017. No official parking rules were found for the other towns as of September 2026. Source
Currency
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR). Source
Emergency numbers
Police 118 or 119, ambulance 1990, fire 111, Tourist Police 011 2421052. Source

Areas of Sri Lanka

Painted fishing boats moored along a channel of the Negombo Lagoon, with palm trees and houses on the banks under a cloudy sky
Photo: Steffen Schmitz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Negombo

The nearest city to the airport, on the west coast at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, known for long sandy beaches and a centuries-old fishing industry. It suits a first or last night of the trip and a beach stay close to the flights.

Colombo airport
about 11 km
Colombo
about 38 km

Car and parking

The airport is about 11 km away by road, and GetCar's guide suggests a first night near it before a long drive inland (via GetCar). The tourism authority's guest house guidelines score secure parking as a grading point, so ask whether a space comes with the room.

The Colombo skyline seen across the water from the Port City, with high-rise towers and a tower under construction beside a crane
Photo: XKillSwitchXxx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Colombo

The executive and judicial capital, the most populous city and the financial centre, on the west coast. It suits business trips, city stays and a month of work, less so a quiet beach holiday.

Colombo airport
about 33 km
Kandy
about 115 km
Galle Fort
about 124 km

Car and parking

Colombo Municipal Council manages roadside parking under by-laws gazetted in July 2017; the rules and prices could not be verified as of September 2026, so ask the hotel. UK travel advice says roads around government and military sites are often closed for VIP convoys.

The stone ramparts of Galle Fort with the clock tower rising behind them under a clear blue sky, and a lawn in front
Photographed in 2015. Photo: Sylvia Berger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Galle and the south coast

Galle Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1588, fortified by the Dutch from 1649 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Unawatuna, a beach town known for its corals, about 6 km away, and Mirissa, a fishing port with a beach, nightlife and whale watching, about 34 km along the coast. It suits a heritage town stay and beach days.

Colombo airport
about 153 km
Colombo
about 124 km
Unawatuna
about 6 km
Mirissa
about 34 km

Car and parking

Galle Fort is about 124 km from Colombo by road; the Southern Expressway runs to the Galle exit at Pinnaduwa, with the toll paid in cash at the exit (via GetCar). No parking rules for the fort were found as of September 2026, so ask the host.

Kandy Lake seen from a hillside, with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic beyond it, buildings along the shore and wooded hills behind
Photo: Niranjan Ramamurthy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kandy

The last capital of the Sinhalese kings, in the hills of the Kandy plateau, home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. It suits culture on foot and a stop between Colombo and the hill country.

Colombo airport
about 113 km
Colombo
about 115 km
Nuwara Eliya
about 73 km

Car and parking

Kandy is about 115 km from Colombo by road and about 73 km from Nuwara Eliya. UK travel advice says heavy rains and landslips can close roads, so check conditions before driving in the monsoon.

View from Little Adam's Peak over green hills, tea bushes and scattered houses towards the town of Ella
Photo: Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nuwara Eliya and Ella

The hill country. Nuwara Eliya, at 1,868 m, is the main tea-growing area and the coolest part of the country; Ella, at 1,041 m, is a small town surrounded by cloud forest and tea plantations, with the Ella Gap view to the southern plains. It suits walking, tea estates and cooler nights.

Colombo airport, from Nuwara Eliya
about 153 km
Colombo, from Nuwara Eliya
about 158 km
Ella, from Nuwara Eliya
about 55 km

Car and parking

The hill roads wind, so drives take far longer than the kilometres suggest (via GetCar); Ella is about 55 km from Nuwara Eliya by road. UK travel advice warns that landslips after heavy rain can close roads.

The sheer rock of Sigiriya rising above the forest, with brick walls at its base and trees along the summit
Photographed in 2016. Photo: V. Epiney, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sigiriya and Dambulla

The Cultural Triangle: Sigiriya, a rock fortress on a granite column about 180 m high and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Dambulla, a junction town with the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. It suits a few nights for the rock and the cave temples, with Polonnaruwa about 53 km from Sigiriya for a day trip (via GetCar).

Colombo airport
about 145 km
Colombo
about 168 km
Dambulla
about 19 km

Car and parking

Sigiriya is about 145 km from the airport by road and Dambulla about 19 km from Sigiriya. UK travel advice warns of pedestrians and animals on the roads, of wild elephants, and of frequent accidents at night.

Guides

Questions

Where should a first night near Colombo airport be?

Negombo, about 11 km from the terminal by road, is the nearest city to the airport, with long sandy beaches and a lagoon. Colombo is about 33 km away.

Do EU, UK and US visitors pay for the Sri Lanka ETA?

Since 25 May 2026 the tourist ETA is free for 30 days for nationals of 40 countries, including the UK, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Most other nationalities pay USD 50 online.

What taxes appear on a hotel bill in Sri Lanka?

VAT at 18% since 1 January 2024. The Tourism Development Levy of 1% is charged on the establishment's turnover rather than per guest, and its rules treat service charges of up to 10% separately from a hotel's sales.

Can a visitor drive in Sri Lanka on a foreign licence?

Not on its own. UK travel advice names an international driving permit plus a Sri Lankan recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon; GetCar's guide describes a temporary licence issued at the airport (via GetCar).